Lie angle has a Major factor of Accuracy in the short irons, a Medium factor of Accuracy in the middle irons, and a Minor factor of Accuracy in the long irons and woods.¹ Simply put, the greater the loft, the more the face will point to the right or left of the target.

There are three terms used when it comes to lie angle; upright, standard, and flat. When looking at a soled golf club, with an upright lie angle, the toe will be up in the air and the heel will be touching the ground. Standard is the correct lie angle for the player using his club. In a flat lie angle, the opposite is true where the toe of the club will be pointed down, touching the ground and the heel of the club will be slightly elevated.

Let’s take an example of an improper lie angle of a 48º 9 iron that is 4º too upright for the player. The toe is off the ground 4º and will cause the ball to leave the clubface in a 3º pull because the face plane is tilted by 3º in that direction (note red arrow pointed left of target in too upright image in above photo). In a 115 yard shot, the pull and the slight hooking effect from sidespin would result in the ball missing 22 feet left of the intended target.²